Nobel Laurette and Professor of Literature, Wole Soyinka commenting on the ravaging killer herdsmen and their activities across the country, said that the country has accepted and tolerated the destruction by herdsmen for a long period of time.

by SaharaReporters, New YorkFeb 13, 2018

Nobel Laurette and Professor of Literature, Wole Soyinka commenting on the ravaging killer herdsmen and their activities across the country, said that the country has accepted and tolerated the destruction by herdsmen for a long period of time.

The professor also demanded the dismissal of Minister of Defense over comments he made, presenting an excuse for herdsmen to continue killing.

Soyinka further maintained that the long acceptance is what led to the situation the country is facing with herdsmen killing uncontrollably and unchecked.

He said, “We have accepted the destruction of farmlands in a manner that any kind of community has ever tolerated. When you are complacent and tolerant, sooner or later maybe your entire living space and the space you earn your living is taken over.”

Urging farmers and community dwellers to protect themselves from herdsmen killings, Soyinka said that the people should not wait until they are dead before actions would be taken to curb and permanently put an end to killings by herdsmen.

Soyinka also called on Nigerians to hold security agencies accountable and demand more security is being provided for lives and properties.

“I wish to commend various and organizations that are now policing themselves. The important thing is the consciousness of a need for organized resistance against the incursion of cows and their herders. We should not wait until we found ourselves lying in our coffins as it happened recently.”

“We have reached the state where we must demand of the security agency of this nation to clean out also the forest. The responsibility of security should not be ours but when we reached the point where trees are being imprudently destroyed, it’s time that we understand there is a kind of negligence somewhere,” he expressed.

Professor Soyinka advising the president on tackling and preventing further clashes between the two groups said that though the clash between farmers and herdsmen is inevitable, it should be handled in a manner that would be pleasing to both parties.

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